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We're All Going to the World's Fair (2022) movie poster

Spoiler-Free Summary

We're All Going to the World's Fair (2022) Spoiler-Free Summary – What It's About

Release, runtime and language
2022 · 86 min · English
Echo score 66
JustWatch #721 112
Directed by
Jane Schoenbrun
Starring
Anna Cobb, Michael Rogers
Budget
$15K

While spending late nights online, Casey discovers the World's Fair Challenge, a strange and unsettling role-playing game. Drawn into the game's promise of change, she begins documenting her experiences, which quickly become increasingly surreal. As the line between the digital world and reality blurs, a mysterious online presence takes notice of Casey's uploads, suggesting a disturbing connection between them.

On this page (8)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What it is about
  3. 3 Is it worth watching?
  4. 4 After you watch
  5. 5 Movie threads
  6. 6 Movies like We're All Going to the World's Fair
  7. 7 Categories
  8. 8 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch We're All Going to the World's Fair (2022)

Where can you watch We're All Going to the World's Fair? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on MUBI, Hoopla and Kanopy: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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Spoiler-free summary · safe to read

What Is We're All Going to the World's Fair About? (No Spoilers)

The plot of We're All Going to the World's Fair (2022) without spoilers: what it is about, who it follows and where it takes place, told without the twists or the ending. Enough to decide whether it is your next watch, not enough to ruin it.

In a quiet suburban town where the glow of a laptop screen becomes a portal to something larger, Casey spends her sleepless nights scrolling through the endless tide of internet whispers. Living with a single father who is often preoccupied, she feels the weight of isolation and the yearning for a connection that stretches beyond the walls of her bedroom. When a cryptic online trend called the World’s Fair Challenge surfaces—a viral ritual that promises transformation and a glimpse of something beyond ordinary reality—she is drawn in by its unsettling allure and the promise of change that it whispers to lonely hearts.

The film immerses the viewer in a digital‑dreamscape that blurs the line between everyday life and the uncanny glow of online mythos. Its tone is a slow‑burning mix of modern horror and coming‑of‑age melancholy, where each click, each recorded confession, feels both intimate and eerily public. The aesthetic leans heavily on dimly lit rooms, soft flickers of webcam light, and the hypnotic cadence of low‑key narration, creating an atmosphere that feels simultaneously familiar and disquieting. As Casey begins documenting her journey, the audience senses an escalating tension between the safety of her solitary routine and the unsettling invitation of an unseen community that watches and responds from the shadows of the internet.

Amidst this fragile equilibrium, a mysterious online presence known only by a handle reaches out, hinting at a deeper, perhaps unsettling, connection. Their tentative exchange becomes a quiet thread that pulls Casey further into the maze of the challenge, amplifying her curiosity and the film’s undercurrent of digital unease. The story sets up a compelling portrait of a teenager navigating the liminal space where personal identity, virtual obsession, and the yearning for belonging intersect, leaving viewers to wonder just how far a whispered promise on a screen can reach into the heart of reality.

Last updated: August 10, 2025 at 00:15

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What to expect

Is We're All Going to the World's Fair Worth Watching? What It Feels Like

Is it dark, sad, slow, intense or confusing? The mood of We're All Going to the World's Fair (2022) in a few tags, without a word about how it ends. Each tag opens a list of movies that feel the same.

After you watch

Seen We're All Going to the World's Fair? Now Read the Spoilers

Once you have watched We're All Going to the World's Fair (2022), come back for the full story: the plot summary with spoilers, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning.

Movie threads

More Movies Like We're All Going to the World's Fair, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes We're All Going to the World's Fair tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about digital paranoia and online isolation like We're All Going to the World's Fair

Stories where online worlds amplify isolation and unravel fragile mental states. If you liked the exploration of internet horror and teenage loneliness in We're All Going to the World's Fair, you'll find similar stories here. These movies delve into themes of digital identity, mental health crises fueled by online experiences, and the chilling blurring of reality in the internet age.

  • anxious
  • paranoid
  • lonely
  • unsettling
  • claustrophobic
  • dreamlike
  • Tone: dark, unsettling, melancholic
  • Pacing: slow, deliberate, atmospheric
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives typically follow an isolated protagonist delving into a strange online community or game. Their search for connection or change leads them down a rabbit hole, where their perception of reality becomes distorted. The story is a character-driven descent, often culminating in ambiguous outcomes that question what was real and what was a digital fiction.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on the psychological impact of the internet. They share a dark, melancholic tone, a slow, atmospheric pace that builds unease, and a heavy emotional weight centered on themes of isolation, identity crisis, and the erosion of reality.

Slow-burn psychological character studies with heavy atmospheres like We're All Going to the World's Fair

Atmospheric films where internal turmoil manifests as creeping external dread. Fans of the slow-burning, atmospheric dread and deep character focus in We're All Going to the World's Fair will appreciate these films. They feature a similar pacing that prioritizes mood over action, often exploring themes of mental fragility, isolation, and a surreal blurring of reality and fantasy.

  • slow burn
  • uneasy
  • psychological
  • melancholic
  • dreamlike
  • claustrophobic
  • Tone: dark, melancholic, tense
  • Pacing: slow burn, deliberate, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern is a linear but deeply internal journey. The plot is minimal, serving as a framework to explore a character's deteriorating mental state or existential crisis. The conflict is often internal, with external events acting as a catalyst or a distorted reflection of the protagonist's inner world, leading to an emotionally heavy and often ambiguous conclusion.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their slow pacing, which allows unease to simmer. They share a dark or melancholic tone, medium intensity derived from psychological tension rather than overt action, and a heavy emotional weight. The focus is consistently on a deep, often distressing, character study.

If you liked this

Movies Like We're All Going to the World's Fair

Similar movies to We're All Going to the World's Fair: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

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Categories

Movie Lists Featuring We're All Going to the World's Fair

We're All Going to the World's Fair appears in these hand-built movie categories. Each one groups movies by a specific mood, theme or story type, with their plot summaries and endings explained.

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Every angle

We're All Going to the World's Fair (2022) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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